American Paint Horses bring Wild West
to life at Six Flags Over Texas theme park

FORT WORTH, Texas-American Paint Horses will be a big part of the story about how the West was won in the action-packed Rangers & Outlaws Wild West adventure at Six Flags Over Texas, in Arlington, Texas, June 5 through Aug. 15.

Talented actors and actresses, along with beautiful Paint Horses, help make the Rangers & Outlaws Wild West Show at Six Flags Over Texas a success each year. Hirez JPEG (1.28 mb) Hirez TIFF (8.25 mb)

Sponsored by the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), Rangers & Outlaws has been the top-rated show in the park.

The 20-minute adventure will run for 72 straight days this summer, with three performances daily, Sunday through Friday, and four performances on Saturdays.

The Rangers & Outlaws adventure brings to life the true story of how the Texas Rangers fought outlaws and brought justice to the silver-mining town of Shafter, Texas, in 1892.

Paint Horses are a big part of the top-rated live-action show, Rangers & Outlaws, at Six Flags Over Texas. Hirez JPEG (2.51 mb) Hirez TIFF (8.25 mb)

At the beginning of the performance, American Paint Horses charge out into an arena and gallop full speed in precision drill-team formation as riders in Texas Ranger attire carry giant replicas of the six flags that have flown over Texas. The flags include those of Spain, France, Mexico, Texas, the Confederacy and the United States of America.

The show is filled with non-stop action, including gunfights, stunts, a daring escape from a blazing hotel, and even a giant water tower explosion and silver mine calamity at the finale. Twenty actors, whose specializations also include stunts and horsemanship, are part of the show, according to Robert Keith of Live Action Productions. Keith serves as the show's director and stunt coordinator.

Throughout the show, lawmen and outlaws alike ride Paint Horses, which are used exclusively for the performances.

Children and adults, alike, enjoy getting to know the actors and Paint Horses during the "meet and greet" session at the conclusion of every Rangers & Outlaws performance. Hirez JPEG (2.13 mb) Hirez TIFF (8.25 mb)

As a special feature of the Rangers & Outlaws show, members of the audience are invited to leave their seats after the performance to talk with the actors and get a close-up view of the horses. This "meet and greet" event is popular, especially with the younger members in attendance. The actors, who have developed a close bond with the horses, field numerous questions, many of which center on the beautiful American Paint Horses.

This will be the third consecutive year APHA has sponsored the Rangers & Outlaws show at Six Flags Over Texas. The association, which supplies nine Paint Horses for the performances, views its involvement with the show as an opportunity to educate people about the popular American Paint Horse breed. For Six Flags Over Texas, the horses provide the opportunity to mount their actors on talented and flashy performance horses.

More about APHA and American Paint Horses
Since its founding 42 years ago, APHA has registered more than 760,000 horses. Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA's Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of about 55,000 horses each year. The association serves more than 105,000 members, who are located in every U.S. state, throughout Canada and in 39 other nations around the world. For more information about the American Paint Horse and APHA, visit http://www.apha.com , or call (817) 834-2742.